Saturday, July 4, 2009

Some people wonder where we have come from. There is a strong connection that we often feel when we are looking at where we have come from. Just today (as I am writing this) I was able to visit an apartment that I lived in when I was just 5 years old. I am sure that my wife and kids were thinking "what is the bid deal." In fact the apartment was noting special. And yet it has a strong connection for me! It is where I have come from. It is special (if only to me). Maybe you have a similar experience as you visit some place from you past or think upon some memory from long ago.

I am also reminded of when we visited the Oregon trail interpretive center with the kids. There is a rich history for people who live in the northwestern United States. We have a heritage of those who gave up so much to settle here. Even if we are not direct descendant of the pioneers we are connected to them as they forged the way for those that would follow. It is a special history. It has a strong connection if we let it.

Connections are very important. We are living in a time that it can be very easy to head down the path of disconnect and never look back until we come up missing. The problem is that we can go so fast and so far that we can not only lose our way, but we can completely forget that there was a way at all. Lost, disconnected, people without a past, and in many ways without a future as a result.

In the beginning...

Those words are words of understanding, connection, history, belonging. In the beginning can be some of the most lovely words to a wayward soul. In the beginning can remind us of our connection to, people, places, the world around us, the universe, and most importantly to God. In the beginning is the third most precious gift that God could give us, first life, second new life (salvation) and then the story of how we got here. That may seem a bit over dramatic to you, but if it does I believe that it is because we have lost our sense of connection to God as the creator of the universe. We have lost our purpose to connect and worship our creator. We should be in awe every time we contemplate origins.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Before that it was empty, formless, without any substance. Before God spoke there was nothing and at his word fullness came. Before God no light after God He said let there be and there was...

...Light. Think about the nature of light. It dispels darkness. It puts an end to the darkness. It penetrates the darkest corner. It gives life. Everything is dependent on light for life. He was the light and the world was in darkness. He brought light to us. He invented light. He spoke light into existence and it was good. What would life be like without light? God is the light of men. He dispels our spiritual darkness and give us spiritual life. God said let there be...

...sky. He wrapped the earth lovingly in a very important blanket we call the atmosphere. Oh the wonders that this atmosphere contains. If I were to post them all this lesson would become very long. Celebrate: oxygen (we need it to breath), carbon dioxide (plants need it to breath), the clouds and rain (bringing life giving water), the ozone layer (protecting us from the sun intense rays), on and on. Minor changes in the content of the earth's atmosphere would have life impossible on this planet. God spoke the sky into existence and it was Good. What praise can you give to the Lord for his perfect wrapping of this planet we call home? God said let there be...

...water and land. Land indeed is a very handy thing! Well it is good and it was God's idea. Again like the atmosphere the land was just right for life to exist. It is perfect to produce life and sustenance for life. Praise His great provision. Many are separated from the land. We get our food out of plastic and metal. We are thankful for the food itself (most of the time), but we have lost our sense of connection to the dirt that made that food possible. We are more inclined to think of dirt as an inconvenience than a blessing. The same goes for water. "Rain rain go away come again another day." Bless the Lord for his wonderful provision of water. Thank Him for the earth beneath our feet. Give Him glory for His perfect plan to sustain life on this wonderful place that he has given us to live. He also caused the land to be productive. Food was His idea. We are sustained by God's goodness every time we eat! We are sustained by God's goodness every time we breath in oxygen produced by the vegetation around us. Think upon your favorite fruit and now say, "It is Good!" Thank you Lord for your wonderful provision we praise your mighty hand! God said let there be...

...Stars, moon, and Sun. Up to day 4 it is likely that God was the source of light (see John 1:5; Psalm 104:2; Habakkuk 3:3-4; and Revelation 22:5). On the forth day God created the Sun and placed it just right to sustain life.

The moon to give light to the night sky and to regulate the tides, and months.

The stars to guide the seasons.

I think we have lost connection with the lesser lights. Our own light (man made light) becomes a barrier to seeing the magnificence of God's created "lesser lights." The next time you are away from the bright city lights stop for a moment and see what the night sky looks like and be amazed. See the hand-iwork of God.

The next time you feel the warmth of the Sun imagine how cold how lifeless we would be without it. It would not take long for life to cease existing if the sun were to stop giving it's light. How dark it would be how that darkness would completely envelop us and surround out with a soul killing darkness. Lord we thank you for the light. Not just the "greater light" that governs the daytime sky, but for the light of Your word. The Light of Your Son. The Light of Your Truth Amen. It was good; And God said let there be...

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The purpose of this blog is to be educational. Some of the topics deal with significant emotional, spiritual, and relationship issues. The purpose of this site is to provide a resource for people to learn how people's mind, body, and spirit work (or don't work together) from one Christian's perspective. It also is intended to a place to share my personal thoughts on Christian living as well as post any works created by me (e.g. Sermons). It is not the purpose of this site to provide or replace advice that one would find with a qualified counselor, pastor, or other professional. If you have a serious emotional, physical, spiritual problem then I would recommend that you seek out a qualified professional to address your specific issues.